The one-bag commute: what 12 creators carry every day
We asked photographers, designers and editors in four cities to empty their bags. Here is what stayed.
By Maya Chen · Oct 14, 2026 · 1 min read
We asked twelve people who carry their work every day to empty their bags on a table and talk us through what was there. Photographers, a video editor, two architects, a podcast producer. Four cities, one rule: no tidying first.
The things everyone carried
Almost everyone had the same short list, whatever their job. The differences were in the details, not the categories.
- A laptop between 13 and 16 inches
- One charger that charges everything
- A water bottle
- Headphones, usually over-ear for the train
- Something to write on
What people stopped carrying
The most interesting answers were about what had been left at home. Spare cables were the first to go, followed by the second camera body and the just-in-case lens.
I used to pack for the worst day. Now I pack for a normal one and I have not missed anything yet.
Priya Shah, product designer
Small habits that help
Several people kept a pouch that never leaves the bag, so the essentials are always there. Others repack every Sunday night. Both work. The point is to decide once and stop thinking about it every morning.
Maya Chen
Maya is the field editor at Carryvo. She has spent ten years shooting documentary work in New York and Taipei, and she tests every bag we make on the subway first.
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